s n o w

Someone recently told me, "I hate snow."

HATE? Really? Oh no. Please do not tell me I just heard that. Perhaps I misunderstood. 'Hate' having to shovel snow? 'Hate' having to drive in the snow? No, they just HATE snow.

Well, in an effort not to become a self-righteous and irritating jerk, I resisted the urge to reply. But let me now take a moment to say a few words:

As much as people see snow as nusiance, can we allow for our inability to live without it? Did you know?... Snow insulates the ground so seed can germinate for spring. It wraps the plants in a fluffy white coat that shelters them from the harsh, drying winds to prevent them from dying. It provides a home for little critters to keep them from freezing to death. And it brings down elements from the upper atmosphere that enriches and nourishes the soil. Without snow there would be no summer. No fishing. No pine trees. No camping. And no s'mores. And this is just the sciencey stuff.

What about the graceful beauty of falling flakes? Each snowflake is fragile. If you are able to catch one in your hand, it dissapears before you can really examine it. Yet the power of these tiny, one-of-a-kind sculptures lie in their cumulative strength. Every blanket of snow that has ever fallen was accomplished one delicate flake at a time. Millions of tiny prismatic beauties, falling at our Creator's command,  huddling together to accomplish a miraculous task.... and they look good doing it. 

Is it really the snow we hate? We live a life of indulgence. We have an expectation to have everything we want, when we want it. How dare the weather stand in our way!  Think about cultures and civilizations that came before us. They humbly built their life around a power that was greater than them. The rains, the harvest, the spring, and yes, the snow. We have most of the year that is conducive to hard work, out-of-doors. Have we ever stopped to think that winter is Jehovah's way of allowing us to rest?  To just pause for a moment. Does snow slow us down? Or are we moving too fast? Snow is our gift.

In my life so far, I have seen plenty worthy of the investment of one's hate. Hate cancer. Hate pedophiles. Hate apostasy. By all means, hate the devil himself. Hate this old system and its god that enslaves us to an unnatural servitude to a relentless and demanding schedule.

But HATE a gift from Jehovah? Never may that happen! Next time we shovel the driveway, instead of cursing the snow, might we find it in our heart to thank Jehovah? And meditate on the time soon when we will properly enjoy this gift... from the warm side of the window.

r a i n

I love rain. The sound of rain. The smell of rain. The nip in the air after a cold rain, the break in the heat after a summer rain. I love dampness in the air once the storm has passed. And wet city streets littered with puddles of reflective artwork. The sun bursting through the retreating thunderhead as if Jehovah is taking a bow for his brilliant performance.

When I was a kid, we lived in a very long single-wide mobile home; or as we liked to call it, "The Bowling Alley". This humble little home allowed my folks to pioneer and live simply. I didn't know it was humble or small. For me it was simply 'Home'. Full of love and a place to make wonderful memories. But what I most fondly remember was our metal roof. We called Oklahoma home at the time, and boy could we get some thunderstorms! I remember falling asleep to the deep rumble of thunder, and the echoing roar of a torrential downpour. I would snuggle even deeper under my covers and hope it lasted all night. I still harbor this childish thrill, and wish ever so much, with every rainstorm that I still had a metal roof.

It's raining this moment as I type, and it makes me happy.